In short
Antivirus software for business is centrally managed protection for company computers and servers. Unlike home antivirus, it applies policies across all devices, covers Windows and Linux servers, reports on the whole estate and is licensed for commercial use, per device or per user. Most current products are next-generation antivirus with an upgrade path to EDR.
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What makes antivirus 'business' antivirus
Some vendors also sell consumer antivirus, but a business product is built on a different assumption: that someone other than the user is responsible for the device. That changes almost everything around the protection engine.
- Central management: one cloud console for every device, so an administrator can deploy the agent, see status and act on threats without touching each computer.
- Policies and groups: different settings for laptops, servers and specialist machines, with exclusions for line-of-business software set once.
- Server support: protection for Windows Server and, with most vendors, Linux, aware of server roles and workloads.
- Tamper protection: users and malware cannot simply switch protection off.
- Reporting: an estate-wide view of threats blocked, devices out of date or offline, and evidence for auditors, insurers or Cyber Essentials.
- Business licence terms: licensed for commercial use, with a licence count you can adjust as people join and leave.
If a product cannot show you, in one place, which of your computers are protected right now, it is not really business antivirus.
Features that matter when you compare
Feature lists run to dozens of lines. These are the ones that make a practical difference for most organisations:
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Machine learning and behaviour monitoring | Catches new malware and fileless attacks that signatures alone miss; see next-generation antivirus |
| Ransomware protection | Detects mass encryption and, in some products, restores affected files or rolls the device back |
| Exploit prevention | Stops attackers abusing flaws in browsers, Office and other common applications |
| Web protection | Blocks malicious and phishing sites; also part of the Cyber Essentials malware control |
| Device control | Restricts USB storage and other peripherals by policy |
| Host firewall management | Applies firewall rules centrally rather than device by device |
| Offline protection | Laptops away from the office stay protected without a constant connection |
| Integrations | Links to your RMM, PSA, SIEM or device management tools |
| EDR upgrade path | Adds investigation and response on the same agent when you need it |
Vendors package these differently. Some include device control and firewall management in their entry product; others reserve them for higher tiers. That is why we compare products against your list, not the vendor's.
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Platform coverage by product
Platform support is where products differ most. This table summarises what each vendor we supply publishes for its endpoint protection product. Supported operating system versions change, so we check your estate against the vendor's current list before quoting.
| Product | Windows | macOS | Linux | Windows Server | Phones and tablets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike Falcon (Falcon Prevent) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Falcon for Mobile add-on (iOS, Android) |
| SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
| ThreatDown Endpoint Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Separate server licence | Mobile Security add-on |
| Bitdefender GravityZone Cloud MSP Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mobile Security module |
| TrendAI Vision One Endpoint Security (Trend Micro) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mobile Security option |
| Trend Micro Worry-Free Services | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes | iOS and Android included |
| Webroot Business Endpoint Protection | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Sophos Endpoint | Yes | Yes | Server licence | Server licence | Sophos Mobile (separate) |
| Check Point Endpoint Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Check Point Mobile Security (separate) |
| WatchGuard Endpoint Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android and iOS |
| Acronis Cyber Platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
For more on each platform, see antivirus for Macs, server antivirus, Linux antivirus and mobile antivirus for business.
How business antivirus is licensed
Licensing decides both the price and how easy the product is to live with. There are three things to check:
- The licence unit. Most vendors count per device (also called per endpoint): CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, ThreatDown, Bitdefender, Trend Micro Vision One Endpoint Security, Webroot, Check Point, WatchGuard and Halcyon. Sophos Endpoint and Trend Micro Worry-Free count per user, with one licence covering the devices that person uses.
- Servers. Several vendors license servers separately from workstations: Sophos (server licences, now marketed as Sophos Workload Protection), ThreatDown (Endpoint Protection for Servers) and WatchGuard (an extra server licence when servers exceed a tenth of your endpoints). Others count a server as one endpoint like any other.
- Term. Many products can be billed monthly through Forever Systems on the devices or users you protect, and some can be bought on a fixed term instead; we confirm the options for each product at quote.
Our business antivirus cost guide explains the other price drivers, such as editions and add-ons. For a market-wide view of licensing, see endpoint protection software on our licensing site.
Need help choosing?
We will recommend what fits your organisation and explain why, in plain English.
Choosing for your organisation
There is no product that suits everyone, and we do not publish rankings. A short list of questions narrows the field quickly:
- How many Windows, Mac, Linux and server devices do you have, and are any shared between users?
- Who will look at the console: an in-house IT person, an external IT provider, or nobody day to day?
- Do you expect to need EDR or a managed detection and response service in the next year or two?
- Do you already pay for Microsoft 365 Business Premium, which includes Microsoft Defender for Business? See is Windows Defender enough?
- Are you working towards Cyber Essentials or answering a cyber insurance questionnaire?
Small organisations should start with our antivirus for small business guide. To compare vendors side by side, see endpoint protection vendors.
Rolling out business antivirus without disruption
Most problems with business antivirus come from the switch-over, not the product. A sensible rollout looks like this:
- Inventory first: export a device list from your current console, Microsoft Intune or your RMM tool, and compare it with what you think you own. Devices your old product stopped reporting from are common.
- Remove the old product cleanly: two real-time antivirus products on one device compete for the same files and can cause conflicts and slowdowns, so plan how the old product will be uninstalled before the new agent goes on.
- Pilot on a representative group: include a server, a Mac if you have them, and the machines running your most specialist software.
- Set exclusions deliberately: line-of-business databases, accounting packages and backup software sometimes need folder or process exclusions. Use the software vendor's published guidance rather than broad exclusions.
- Roll out in waves and check the console: confirm every device appears, reports as protected and receives updates before you sign it off.
Servers deserve particular care, because exclusions for roles such as SQL Server or Exchange, and the behaviour of Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows Server, differ from workstations. Our server antivirus guide covers this.
How we help
Forever Systems can shortlist products against your estate, arrange a trial where the vendor offers one, deploy the agent through the tools you already use (such as Microsoft Intune, group policy or an RMM platform), and look after licence changes on one account. If you would rather we ran it day to day, see managed antivirus; the scope is agreed at quote.
Contact us with a rough device count and we can suggest options that fit.
Explore Business antivirus
How Forever Systems helps with endpoint protection
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply business antivirus and endpoint protection from several vendors, so we can recommend what fits your devices, your team and your budget rather than pushing one product.
- Review what you have: we look at your current antivirus, your Microsoft licences and the devices you need to cover before suggesting anything new
- Compare the options: next-generation antivirus, EDR and managed services from vendors including CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, ThreatDown, Bitdefender, Trend Micro, Sophos, Check Point, WatchGuard and Acronis
- Licensing and quotes: the right edition and licence count for your Windows, Mac, Linux, server and mobile devices, with pricing confirmed at quote
- Deployment and migration: we can help roll out agents, set policies and remove the old product cleanly
- Support after go-live: help with policy tuning, alerts and renewals, with the scope agreed at quote
We can also help with the rest of your security, from endpoint security and EDR to Cyber Essentials and security awareness training.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between business and home antivirus?
Business antivirus is managed centrally, applies policies across all devices, supports servers, reports on the whole estate and is licensed for commercial use. Home antivirus is managed device by device by the user, and many consumer licences are limited to personal use.
Can I use home antivirus on work computers?
Check the licence first: many consumer and free products restrict use to personal or home devices. Even where it is allowed, you lose central management, server support and reporting, which makes it hard to prove every device is protected.
Does business antivirus protect servers?
Yes, but check how. All the vendors we supply protect Windows Server, and most also protect Linux servers. Some license servers separately from workstations, such as Sophos, ThreatDown and, above a set share of servers, WatchGuard.
Is business antivirus licensed per user or per device?
Most products are licensed per device or endpoint. Sophos Endpoint and Trend Micro Worry-Free are licensed per user, which can suit people with several devices. Servers are often counted separately.
Do I need antivirus on Macs at work?
Most organisations protect Macs as well as Windows devices, and Cyber Essentials expects anti-malware or application allow listing on in-scope macOS devices. Most of the vendors we supply have a macOS agent in the same console.
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